Material projecting apparatus



March 2, 1948. R. A. PRossER ET AL 2,437,042

I MATERIAL PROJECTING APPARATUS Filed May 29, 1944- 'Ihvehfors Robrt APP-0.5.5:!

Aliza/'5. N/chaf/s. By 6Q Alla/"hey Patented Mar. 2,..1948

PATENT G'FFIC Nichola-(jak lark; 111,, assignors to The Illinois ciayrroduets -ompany, Joliet, 111., a corpora-.-

tion of Illinois- Pnlication Mam, 1944, SeriaLNo. 531,947;

a'cieims. (01191-44) This "invention relatesto'material projecting apparatus, andfamong other objects aims to provide improved" apparatus ofthis character particularly adapted =for----proiecting light' weight cementitious and similar materials;

The nature-cf;the;invention-:mayrbe readily understood by reference to one illustrative apparatus--embodying the invention and shown'in the accompanyingdrawing:

In said' drawingz s Fig. 1 is a longitudinal"cross sectioni off the apparatus-,- the -lower portion -of the apparatus comprising"- thefeed t-ube being shownin small sealer Fig-2 is-a eross-section-talt em on the? plane 2:4 01 1 1214? Fig. 3 is a section taken on' the plane-= 3 =3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the plane 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective of the water distributing element.

Light weight insulating materials such as exfoliated vermiculite do not project well in the conventional type of cement gun. Exfoliated vermiculite is a type of mica, granules of which on application of substantial heat expand to many times their original size to produce a very light weight refractory material weighing about six pounds per cubic foot. It can be applied as an insulating cement by mixing it with various binders such as bentonite. Bentonite when mixed with water provides a good wet as well as dry bond. Insulation of this type is extensively employed on furnaces such as open hearth, soaking pits, etc., and it is generally desirable to apply the insulation to the furnace walls after the furnace has been brought to heat in order to avoid cracks which would develop if the cement were applied to the furnace while cold.

The illustrative apparatus is highly efficient in applying insulation of this character to hot as well as cold surfaces. As here shown, the gun or projector ID has a longitudinal bore ll leading from a mixing and aspirating chamber l2. The latter has a terminal fitting I3 projecting laterally from the body of the gun, to which is connected a large diameter tube l4, preferably of flexible character leading to the supply bin or receptacle containing the light-weight insulating aggregates IS in dry form.

Suction sufficient to draw the dry aggregates through the tube l4 into the chamber I2 is developed in this instance by an air nozzle l1 projecting into chamber l2, preferably in alignment with/the; bore Ll; An; a ose or other; conduit is connected, to the; apparatus. by: thantting l8 which includes a. manually! operated valve; I9 for controlling the .aii..

The suction created by-th'e' Jet of air traveling through the apparatus-draws; the light=weight materials into" the chamberi, I l and} gives them sufiicient; velocity} to" travel through'the: bore and issue from thedischarge" outlet 20 without" lat-,- erally dispersing at the; outlet. In other-words, theaggregate travelsf'towardsWhe surface to whiclr it is to be appliedqzinia fairly-compact stream but withoutsuch -hi'gh' velocityas-to cause the particles to 'bouncef away -on striking such surface.

Adjacent the di'scharge outletthe aggregatesare mixed with a liquid, e. g. water; which isuniformly distributed around and in the stream by a distributor ring 2| containing a plurality of small size orifices 22 leading from an annular distributing passage 23, formed in this instance by a channel on the inside face of the terminal flange 24 and the outer face of the fitting 2|. Water is delivered to the distributing passage 23 from a conduit 25 extending longitudinally of the device and connected by means of a valve fitting 26 to a supply hose or other conduit.

The inner face 21 of the distributor ring is conical in character to provide an expanding terminal orifice leading from the bore ll, without substantial angular recesses in which material may collect. A cleanout plug 28 facilitates cleaning the water passages.

The addition of water by means of inwardly directed streams adjacent the discharge orifice assists in preventing lateral travel of the aggregate and serves to confine it in a fairly compact and low velocity stream. The water ratio in insulating cement of this character is not particularly critical and may be increased or decreased to secure the most efllcient operation and the least waste of material without regard to whether there is an excess of water. The excess simply evaporates without damage to the insulating layer.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative apparatus since these may be variously modified. Moreover it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly since various features may be used to advantage in different combinations and sub-combinations.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. Apparatus for projecting light weight grannlar solids and the like comprising in combination a tubular member having a straight bore with an open discharge end, a suction chamber extending at an angle from the entrance to said bore, said chamber being connected with a conduit leading to a supply of said light Weight solids, an air jet at the entrance end of and in alignment with said bore discharging a stream of air down said bore and adapted to create a suction in said chamber sufiicient to cause said solids to be forced into said conduit and sent into said chamber to join said air stream and to be carried thereby out the discharge end of said bore, and means at said discharge endand around the stream of solids for adding liquids thereto as they leave said discharge end. i

2. Apparatus for projecting light weight gran-' ular solids and the like comprising in combination a tubular member having a straight bore with an open discharge end, a suction chamber extending at an angle from the entrance to said bore, said chamber being connected with a conduit leading to a supply of said light weight solids, an air jet at the entrance end of and in alignment with said bore discharging a stream of air down said bore and adapted to create a suction in said chamber sufiicient to cause said solids to be forced into said conduit and sent into said chamber to join said air stream and to be carried thereby out the discharge end of said bore, and an annular liquid distributor at the endof and around said bore and having an outwardly flaring inner face across which said stream travels, said face having liquid openings therein for adding liquid to said stream as it leaves said bore, said flaring inner face being adapted to prevent accumulation of wetted solids insaid bore.

3. Apparatus for projecting light weight granular solids and the like comprising in combination a tubular member having a straight bore with an open discharge end, a suction chamber extending at an angle from the entrance to said bore, said chamber being connected with a conduit leading to a supply of saidlight weight solids, an air jet at the entrance end of and in alignment with said bore discharging a stream of air down said bore and adapted to create a suction in said chamber suflicient to cause said solids to be forced into said conduit and sent into said chamber to joinsaid air stream and to be carried thereby'out the discharge end of said bore, and an annular liquid distributor at the end of and around said bore, said distributor having outwardly, converging jets to deliver liquid to the stream of solids issuing from said bore and in the'direction of travel of said stream.

' ROBERT A. PROSSER.

ARTHUR S. NICHOLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

